The Other Princess's Diaries
by clairiana
Summary: This is the diary of a girl named Paige. She thinks her life is very ordinary but she is in for a shock. OC. AU. Use of Fat Louie's name.
1. Entry 1

_**---**_

_**October 15**__**th**_

Ugh, what am I supposed to do now? There is no way that my already dismal life can get any worse. But somehow, call it my seventh sense, I know it's going to.

My name's Paige. EW, It's an OKAY name, I guess… but oh well, I wish I could have a name like one of those models. Like Gisele. Or Paris.

Well, not Paris. That piece of plastic is in the papers more than the war in Iraq.

Anyway, I'm fifteen. Stuck between being called a preteen (which is stupid, since you become a teen when you turn thirteen after all) and being able to drive on your own. My sister, Irene, has been allowed to drive for three years, and yet I still have to take the bus. Whatever happened to nepotism?

Well, Irene doesn't have favorites. Okay, maybe one—her boyfriend, Ricky London. Ugh, I hate Ricky. All he ever does is ask, "You okay, Paige?" and then ruffles my hair. Seriously, man, am I fifteen or what?

Meh. I hate being fifteen. I wish I was nineteen, because I deserve the power more than Irene. I'd do better things, like volunteer for community service, or Greenpeace. Not exactly something my bratty sister would do. And Irene's only my HALF sister, too! She always brags about how well her father does things. Even though I don't see my dad that much, I still have the right to defend him; I AM his flesh and blood, after all.

Or am I? In this family, everything's hectic.

My mom's a sculptor. She spends most of her time molding clay while listening to crappy 80's dance videos. I groan and complain about the tapes, because the guy in them is too hairy. But no, my mom never listens to poor little insignificant Paige. Doting on Irene seems to be her only mission in life (well, other than sculpting, anyway) while ignoring me.

Not that my dad is much better or anything. He just sits around and smokes his pipe and reads the newspaper, while I cough as loud as I can just to make him feel annoyed, so maybe he'll spend some time with me or something… But no.

Ooh, and there's my stepdad, Norman. He's totally awesome!!! I mean, not that I don't like my real dad and all, but sometimes Norman just seems more personable.

Hunh, I'm so confused… right now, I'm sitting on my bed writing this, as my cat Louie purrs like a weed whacker. I love Louie and all, but he purrs louder than a freight train.

Oh, my mom's calling me…

---


	2. Entry 2

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_**October 16**__**th**_

"Hey, Paigey, Do you have a pencil I could use?"

I opened my blue binder, and after a while of searching through random papers (some of which I had lost, but now it was too late to turn it in), I found a blue mechanical pencil entwined in a piece of tape. I pulled it out with some difficulty and handed it to Akane.

Akane is my best friend. She came here from Japan five years ago, and I've always thought she was so cool. And she is! She can draw like nobody's business! But she also loves the environment like me, and she believes in freedom at school, like me. Akane's brave enough to pull the fire alarm and not care if she get's caught.

I've always loved the way Akane looks. Her long black hair and pale skin are so pretty… I wish I could look exotic like Akane. But no, I look really boring.

I have long, sort of curly dark dirty-blonde hair. Attractive huh? I have nice eyes, though. They're VIOLET. I AM NOT KIDDING. My mom said it must have been a goof in my DNA that caused it to happen. But I think it's not a goof—I like my eyes a lot.

Right now we're in study hall. Akane has to work on her term paper, and I'm drawing a picture because I have nothing else to do.

Oh, well.

"Thanks, Paigey."

Akane calls me Paigey a lot. She just thinks it sounds cooler. I'd do anything to have a name like AKANE. It means, "brilliant red" in Japanese.

I don't even KNOW what Paige means. Maybe I'll ask Akane when study hall is over—she knows a lot about that sort of thing. Being from Japan, she loves painting, drawing, and poetry.

Speaking of study hall being over, the bell wrang at that precise moment, I picked up my bag. What stinks about this prison chamber they call a school is: We wear uniforms.

Yeah. Uniforms, and UGLY ones too. They're blue, pants and a blazer shirt. I wish WE had uniforms like Akane's old school—they had those plaid skirts and white polo and those stockings that never fall down for some reason. There's another thing I never asked Akane about Japan.

Wow, do I really know that little about my best friend?

Huh. I needed to pay closer attention at Akane's sleepover this weekend. Even though… who really thinks at sleepovers anyway?

Eh, must go. Math class now.

---


	3. Entry 3

---

_**October 17**__**th**_

Oh. My. Gosh.

We got a new kid.

Akane told me it was nothing to worry about, and that new kids were usually annoying nerds anyway.

I told her that's a common misconception. Josh Hastings was a new kid, and he turned out to be the most popular guy in school. But he's blond and all, so I guess that's redundant. Akane gave me a look.

It was at that point that the teacher (whom I didn't know was a man or a woman until she introduced herself as Mrs.) told me and Akane to shut up.

Then we passed notes—

**What do you think a new kid would be like?****—Paige**

_I dunno. Probably not that much different from __me__—Akane_

**You're not a new kid, Akane.**

_Would it matter if I was one? You are talking about them like they're aliens._

**Well they ARE! They could be mass murderers for all we know.**

_Ha-ha. You're always like this._

**Like WHAT? When you were the new kid, how did you feel?**

_Uh, I don't know—sort of left out, I guess. All new kids are, at least for a couple of months._

**Well, you made friends eventually.**

_Yes, eventually._

At that point I stopped writing—Akane usually wins these arguments. Word is, though, the new kid's coming in 7th period. I have gym class then.

---


	4. Entry 4

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_**October 18**__**th**_

It was sixth period. I was sitting at my table (which, since I don't take ownership of it, is Akane's table in reality) innocently eating my sandwich when Akane asked me a weird question.

"Paigey, do you have your eye on someone?" her dark eyes twinkled. I nearly choked on bologna.

"W-haw?" I spluttered. "I—Akane—"

"It's alright, Paige, I was just asking," she said calmly. "But why do you act so funny when I DO ask?"

"How could you make an assumption to that? That's the first time you've asked," I said once I'd swallowed.

Akane nodded and got back to her bento box full of dumplings. I watched her in amazement. She eats with two sticks and she never misses a bite; I eat with a spoon, a fork and a knife and I drop my food half the time.

Just as I was thinking about silverware manners, two extra people slid into our table: Whitney and Jim. They're my other friends, but they mostly hang out with each other (they're going out, but they act like just friends around us).

"Hey guys," I said casually, and Akane waved without even looking up from her bento.

"Hey," Jim said, eating a French fry. Whitney just grinned at me.

"Paige, I thought you were going to Florida this weekend," Whitney asked, turning her head to the side.

"She was, but she found about how bad the jet lag is between Sagaponic and Palm Springs," Akane answered for me.

Sagaponic is just outside New York City, in case you wanted to know. We live in New York, and we love it. Even though there are people who run down little old people, and not other old people who deserve it (like Fidel Castro, in Akane's opinion).

I think it's time I described Jim and Whitney.

Whitney's really tall and into running, unlike me. She's pale, and has blue eyes. Her blonde hair is always down, but I guess she likes it that way. Jim is very tall, too. He has brown hair that falls in his face sometimes, and brown eyes.

I really like my friends. Our other friend, Breanne, had to go to a different school this year.

I sit with them every day, my friends.

I adore them.

They're the only thing that get's me through this topsy turvy world—what's it called again?

Oh yeah, high school.


	5. Entry 5

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_**October 18**__**th**__**, 7**__**th**__** Period Gym**_

I'm in the locker room, talking to Akane while trying to jot this down. There were some… interesting events here in gym class today.

When we went out for the gym lineup (my last name is Nikiniev, Akane's is Natsuki, so we're right next to each other when we saw the supposed new kid.

Wow, he was no nerd, that's for certain.

He walked by us in his unnamed uniform (we have to write our names on our gym uniforms), and I saw him. He's really tall and skinny, and has spiked up blond hair. His eyes are dark blue.

What ws even weirder about this experience was, he gave me this long blank stare. Akane raised an eyebrow at him, and he strode off to talk to the gym teacher.

"Paigey, do you know him?" Akane asked, but I didn't hear her; all my thoughts were on this boy.

"No," I said, once she had shaken me by the shoulders as she repeated herself. "He just… looked at me for some reason."

"Huh," Akane said, "Weird."

After having our names called out, Mr. DeSullo stopped at me. He gave me a look, then pulled something into my line of vision. It was the arm of the skinny blonde boy.

"Chad," he told the skinny boy, "Paige is going to show you around the school until you're settled."

Even though I couldn't see her with my eyes on Chad, I knew Akane was staring at me.

"Okay." I smiled.

Chad stepped on my other side, the one opposite of Akane. She was giving me a look, but I didn't look at her.

"Hey, Paige," said Chad, and I turned slowly toward him. He had a nice voice, sort of like Jesse McCartney's. "Heard we're gonna be—you know, hangin' out for a while."

"I guess so," I replied. "I sorta—"

"Have anywhere to sit at lunch, Chaaaaad?" Akane interrupted, drawing out his name.

"Uh, no, actually," Chad said, putting a had behind his back.

"Good! Then you can sit with me and Paigey!"

If there were a locker in sight, I would be banging my head on it.

---


	6. Entry 6

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_**October 18**__**th**__**, 8**__**th**__** Period Family and Consumer Science/School Parking Lot**_

"Oh, Paigey, you're so lucky," Akane said as she brushed her hair at the end of class.

"What?" I asked, looking up at her. I had been packing away my binder.

"Chaaaaaad," she said.

"Would you PLEASE stop saying that?" I asked politely.

Akane shrugged as she picked up her back, but swung her black haired head back behind her.

"What?" I asked.

Walking toward us, with his black and white checked back, was Chad Arden. He had a pencil tucked behind his ear.

"Hey, Paige!" he said, and walked in faster strides toward us.

"Here he comes!" Akane said in a sing-song voice.

Chad stopped beside Akane.

"Want me to walk with you guys?" he asked.

"Uh, we're only walking to the subway," I put in.

"Just as well, Paige—y," he said.

I went as red as a ripe cherry tomato.

"What?"

"Paigey. I heard Akane say it, and I thought you liked being called Paigey," he explained, his face visibly pink. "Sorry."

"No, no!" I said, a little too fast, "You can call me Paigey, it's okay Chaddy."

It was at that point Akane cracked up, and Chad chuckled along after a moment. I laughed, too.

"It's a deal," he agreed.

We left the school, and Chad told me some stuff about him—after he heard about me.

"So, Paige," he had said after Akane had yelled at a nerd who had gotten mud all over her bike when he trailed by on his bike, "How's life?"

"It's alright," I admitted. "Chad, where did you move from?"

"Los Angeles," he said, looking at his shoe.

Was he… ASHAMED of being from L.A.?

After that, the conversation grew livelier. I realized, when I'd went to bed that night, that Chad was turning out to be a good friend.

---


	7. Entry 7

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_**October 18**__**th**__**, My Room**_

"Hello?" I picked up the phone, sounding bored and lazy. When I heard the voice on the other end, I jumped in stupidity. Like that time I drank five Dr. Peppers and had a huge fit of hiccups. Like that kind of jump.

"Hi, Paige, It's Chad," Chad said.

"Oh, hi," I said, sighing with relief that he didn't think I was a total idiot (which I am, but still). "What's up?"

"Eh, nothing much, you?" he sounded remarkably pleased for a new kid (because they were usually all sad and stuff).

'Well, I called for a reason… I was sort of wondering if you wanted to… like, go to a movie or something, just as friends."

I contemplated this for a moment. Well, I had only known Chad for one day, but he seemed so nice and all. Plus, Akane knew some stuff about people, and she seemed to trust Chad.

"Uh, I guess so, Chad, but I'd have to ask my mom first," I said. "C-can you hang on a minute?"

Chad sighed. "Sure," he said, sounding bored as I had been when I first answered.

I threw the receiver down on my bed, waking an angry Fat Louie, and ran down the stairs. My mom was sculpting and listening to her bad 80's music (shocker, shocker), so I had to turn it off to get her attention.

"This better be good, Paige," she grumbled immediately. "You're going to give me sculptor's block."

_Sculptor's block__, huh, _I'd heard of writer's block, but sculptor's block?

"Well Mom, I uh, my friend called me from school, and he uh, was wondering if I wanted to go to a movie with him tonight… just as friends?" I asked, not taking any breaths.

"If I can meet this boy," my mom said, about to turn on the music, "And if you're back by eleven thirty."

I sighed and thanked her, then I raced back up the stairs to pacify Fat Louie so he wouldn't have a fit (which happened at least daily), and then I picked out my outfit for the date: a red tank top over a black stretch sweater with armlets.

I called Chad back, since Fat Louie had gotten mad and stepped on the phone till it went off, and told him that my mom had said yes.

He seemed pretty happy, so I ended the call and pet Fat Louie until he calmed down. Then, I laid back on my bed and took a nap…

I woke up…

To the sound of the doorbell.

----


	8. Entry 8

_**---**_

_**October 18**__**th**__**, 10:27 PM, Movies**_

I'm trying to write by the light of the screen, but it's not too easy (the scene is at night, so that doesn't really help). Chad went to go get some popcorn, since I ate it all, so there's only a few minutes.

We're watching a weird movie, and I'm not even sure what it's called anyway. I haven't paid any attention at all.

Irene called halfway through the movie to tell me that she had gone out with Ricky. It had made everyone in the theater shush me, and Chad gave me a look.

Maybe I'll get up…---

I went to go call Akane. She's watching Boogieman with her brother, but I've never seen it. Akane took me once, but I ran straight out of there as soon as the girl looked in the mirror. Finally she told me it was getting good and she had to go.

I stood there doing nothing for a couple minutes, trying to imagine what I would look like short. I'm like a giant.

Chad came out with two bags of popcorn and told me that the movie was over anyway, and that we still had an hour and a half to kill, so he suggested that we go to the mall.

We took the subway, (I take the subway everywhere, but most frequently, I go to get cat food for Fat Louie) and pulled in to Grand Central. We made our way to the mall, but it turned out that due to a break-in that it was going to be closed for a week.

"Boy, that sucks," Chad said as we ate what remained of the popcorn.

We sat for a few minutes, crunching on popcorn and watching pedestrians go by. New York is a colorful place (in more ways than you think, trust me) so we had a lot of fun.

Chad pointed out Akane to me. She was standing by the fountain nearby, and we ran over to see her. She said hi to me, and acted like Chad wasn't even there at all. It made me sort of mad, really, since yesterday she'd been so keen on being friends with him and everything.

"Akane, what's the deal?" I said when Chad went to the bathroom.

"You're hogging him, Paige," she snapped.

I widened my eyes at her.

"Akane! Gosh, I didn't—"

"Whatever."

When I got home (after saying good night to Chad) I tried to IM Akane, but she ignored me.

---


	9. Entry 9

---

I didn't get what was so wrong with Akane Natsuki. Why was she acting all touchy? I would've gladly given her Chad (Fat Louie hates him, because he pet him on his sensitive belly) if she had asked me. But now we're sort of going out, I guess, so that's a moot point.

But acting like I _stole him away? _That's going a bit far, ISN'T IT!?!?!?

Uhhm. This stinks. Fat Louie is in one of his moods and went to go hide on the roof, so I don't even have him for company.

Norman has gotten into poker lately and wants me to play it with him, but I told him that I wasn't interested because poker is a game for gamblers.

Not that Norman is a gambler. I don't think, at least.

---

Wow.

Seriously, I do not think this day could get any worse. I mean, Fat Louie won't come down, Akane is acting evil, Chad's not even home, and my mom has "sculptor's block" again.

Uh, excuse me, but I didn't sign up to get everyone's problems dumped over my head.

Oi.

I signed on to my computer, and logged in to IM. There was an IM from Chad when I was offline.

**Sk8rDude: Paigey, I was just making sure you were okay, because I saw you in class today, and you looked sad. What's wrong?**

I sighed as I contemplated several possible replies.

**Paige24565: I'm doing fine, just a little stomachache.**

**Sk8rDude: Sorry to hear that… how's Akane?**

**Paige24565: Haven't talked to her in a while. Why?**

**Sk8rDude: Just won****dering… and how are Whitney and Jim?**

**Paige24565: They're fine. Got to go; Mom's calling me.**

Of course, my mom was not calling me, because she never does. Occasionally she'll call me to dinner, but it's usually Norman.

I later got Louie off the roof and calmed him down, then I sat down for a Baywatch marathon.

Awesome show.


End file.
